Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and New Paltz, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in New Paltz, NY: $2,667 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in New Paltz, NY
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New Paltz, NY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

New Paltz, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in New Paltz, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in New Paltz, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,667 in New Paltz, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
New Paltz, NY $2,667

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,914 in New Paltz, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
New Paltz, NY $3,914

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,160 in New Paltz, NY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
New Paltz, NY $5,160

Chicago, IL costs about 14% more than New Paltz, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and New Paltz, NY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, New Paltz, NY by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.24 $19.24

7.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$78.4 $78.4

13.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.25 $13.25

-0.45%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.21 $6.21

-8.86%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.49 $2.49

6.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.53 $1.53

49.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.93 $8.93

-23.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.98 $6.98

26.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.31 $1.31

-4.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.38 $4.38

-15.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$6.15 $6.15

-12.36%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$6.96 $6.96

-31.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.12 $14.12

-1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.16 $10.16

41.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.60 $19.60

-6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.87 $5.87

-11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.59 $3.59

-44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.40 $4.40

-7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.36 $5.36

-7.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.06 $3.06

-12.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.01 $3.01

-11.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.14 $3.14

-28.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.94 $2.94

6.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.75 $14.75

-6.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.91 $14.91

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.86 $1.86

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.49 $3.49

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.94 $1.94

25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.7 $60.7

21.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.07 $3.07

3.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.21 $2.21

-37.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$42.40 $42.40

-40.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.00 $1.00

20.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

25.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.52%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$194 $194

$173 $173

12.43%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$51.2 $51.2

35.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$51.0 $51.0

20.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$41.21 $41.21

16.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$8.98 $8.98

98.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,794 $1,794

$1,991 $1,991

-9.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.0K $16.0K

100.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.4 $50.4

32.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.69 $41.69

25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.5 $85.5

18.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$104 $104

38.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,412 $1,412

78.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,315 $1,315

20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,509 $2,509

88.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,113 $2,113

27.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,731 $2,731

53.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,400 $2,400

15.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.8

0.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for New Paltz, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

New Paltz, NY

$1.3K 49.3% 16.7% $263

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

New Paltz, NY

$466 17.5% 4.1% $18

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

New Paltz, NY

$343 12.9% 0.6% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

New Paltz, NY

$275 10.3% 15.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

New Paltz, NY

$127 4.8% 22.7% $37

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

New Paltz, NY

$83 3.1% 11.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

New Paltz, NY

$59 2.2% 29.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,412 in New Paltz, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $78 in New Paltz, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $466 in New Paltz, NY – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 New Paltz, NY

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

14,407

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL New Paltz, NY 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
New Paltz, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chicago, IL vs New Paltz, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,667 in New Paltz, NY – New Paltz, NY comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,001 in New Paltz, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Paltz, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,412 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $78 in New Paltz, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,667 in New Paltz, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,667 in New Paltz, NY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.